Marvell unveils first 1.5GHz tri-core application processor

Marvell has today announced the introduction of what it is touting as the world’s first 1.5GHz tri-core application processor, aimed at smartphones and tablets.

The new applications processor will go by the name Armada 628, features three ARM-compliant CPU cores, and will have full System-on-Chips design integration.

The main two cores will feature speeds of up to 1.5GHz, while the third low-power core will clock in at 624MHz. It features a 1MB system level 2 cache, one HDMI port, an advanced EPD controller and can support dual streaming of 3D video applications at 1080p.

Marvell said that the Armada 628 is “the world’s first commercially available heterogeneous, multi-core, applications processor.”

It is aiming the new processor at the smartphone and tablet market, which is currently booming, and said that this will be the first mobile CPU of its kind to support USB 3.0, which provides up to 10 times faster performance than USB 2.0.

Marvell claims that this processor will find a balance between power consumption and performance, with the ability to play over 10 hours of 1080p high definition video or 140 hours of music on a single charge, but still keeping performance as high as 3GHz.